Queen of the Night
by techtchr
Summary: Amaunet had existed for thousands of years, but her long life had not prepared her for the love shared betweed her host and a certain blue-eyed Tauri. Missing scenes in Amaunet's journey from "Children of the Gods" to "Forever in a Day." On hiatus.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

She walked proudly between the pillars of the Sun God's temple, skirts swirling around her graceful ankles, head held high as fitting for a Queen and a Goddess – despite the armored guards that surrounded her. The figure awaiting her on the throne regarded her through an impassive golden mask.

"You are as beautiful as a star in the night sky, Amaunet," Ra said in the deep tones of a Goa'uld. He stood, and the mask retracted, revealing the finely-chiseled face of a young man. He moved slowly toward her, trailing shimmering golden robes behind him. The guards withdrew to a respectful distance.

"I thought you preferred the shining light of the day, Supreme Lord. Fair skin, hair as red as the dawn..."

Ra's eyes flashed in sudden anger at the reference to his first Queen. "You know what I desire."

"Of course, Supreme Lord. All Goa'uld know what you desire. You need a queen to supply your Jaffa."

"Yes, I need a queen. And the coloring of the host is not important." Like one of his cats, he stalked around her, pausing briefly to stroke the dark, silky hair that trailed down her back, so much like his own. Then he turned, and walked over to touch a spot on the temple wall not far from where Amaunet stood. "The last one had eyes like the sky and hair like the midday sun, but unfortunately, she proved to be a complete disappointment."

Amaunet's resolve wavered, and she couldn't prevent a glance in the direction he indicated. Her unwilling eyes traced the carved symbols which marked the place where Ra's most recent queen had been entombed alive.

She forced her attention to the heavy chains around her wrists. "Perhaps she didn't like the jewelry you chose for her."

Ra gave a cruel laugh. "No, it was my seed that she rejected. She thought that she could usurp me by imprinting the spawn with her own seed." His eyes narrowed. "Of course, her deception was revealed when her first child took a host. It was a simple thing to confirm the child had her memories, not mine."

"Foolish, indeed. She must have been very young." _Or else she so hated you that she preferred certain execution to continued servitude, _Amaunet thought.

"She _was_ young. I believed that she would give me children for long ages to come. And now I am presented with a problem. I need children for my Jaffa, and I have no Queen to produce them. "

"I am the Queen of Apophis. Why would I produce children for the enemy of my lord?"

"Because I cannot permit him to have a queen when I do not. And because I think that you would not want to join her in the wall."

"Has this not been the end of every queen that has caught your interest? Or is Hathor bathing in your pool? Is Egeria walking in your garden?" She looked around, as if she expected to see them at any moment.

Ra's smile faded. "You know that it is death to speak those names in my presence. But such is my need that I will overlook your error, this once." He ran a long finger over the carving on the wall. "Perhaps I should have said that you would not want to join my most recent queen _this moment. _Produce children for me, from my seed, and I will permit you to live. I may even allow Apophis to ransom you after you have filled the bellies of my Jaffa. Refuse me, and I will have another queen to decorate the wall of this temple." He nodded to his First Prime.

Amaunet felt heavy hands on her shoulders, pushing her down. Resigned to her fate, she went to her knees before Ra without resistance. She had expected this ending from the moment Ra's Jaffa appeared in her temple. There had been no time to escape or call to Apophis for help. Her lord had been far away, engaged in a battle with one of Ra's underlings – a battle that she now knew to have been a diversion, to her bitter sorrow. Though she might pay with her life, she would never provide children to the enemy of her lord and pharaoh.

She felt her host's heart begin to pound, and cursed the intricate strands that linked her superior systems to those of the slave. She couldn't suppress a slight flinch when the First Prime pointed his staff weapon at her chest, and then snapped it open.

"Do you refuse me?" Ra demanded.

Amaunet kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, denying the Sun God even the small pleasure of seeing her look up at him. "I will die before I betray my Pharaoh."

Ra stepped back from her, and reactivated his mask in preparation for her sentence. "If you will not produce children for me, O Queen of the Night, then you will not produce them for my enemy. You will either die with this host, or you will leave it and be sealed into the wall of this temple until it is my pleasure to release you. Know that if I find another queen, you will dwell in your chosen darkness for all eternity."

"My Pharaoh will rescue me," Amaunet said softly.

"I think not," Ra answered. "But a Goa'uld queen is a great treasure. I do hope you choose to leave the host before it dies." He turned away with a terrible finality.

The last thing that Amaunet heard with her host's ears was the roar of the staff weapon. There was a dazzling flash of light and sudden, searing pain. The room tilted crazily as the impact threw her backwards, slamming her violently to the floor.

The host was dying. She considered allowing herself to perish along with it, but her faith in Apophis was strong. He _would_ save her. Quickly, Amaunet severed the links between the host's body and her own, and then drove herself through the back of the throat and out of the mouth. She was surprised by the sensation of the smooth, cold tile of the temple floor against her true skin. But before she had a chance to regain control of her natural form, the First Prime of Ra grasped her tightly and lifted her into the air. She flared her neck, flailed her tail, and screamed in rage and anguish. He held the canopic jar up before her, taunting her with the sight of her prison, and then swiftly plunged her inside. She had only a moment to grieve for herself and her Pharaoh before she was swallowed by the darkness.

* * *

On Earth, Daniel Jackson was enrolling for his first semester at UCLA.

* * *

A/N: After rewatching the first season, I had many questions about Amaunet. Before she takes a host, Apophis describes her as "his future queen" and "my love." Just after taking a host, she is already devoted to him enough to risk her life to shield him from Jack's bullets in the pilot episode: behavior that is very unlike the typical Goa'uld. How could such a deep relationship have developed between a mature Goa'uld and a larva?

At the end of season 1, Korel describes himself as the son of Apophis, stating that Apophis had "seeded the Queen Mother." But we see with Hathor and Egeria that Goa'uld queens reproduce asexually. So which is it? Aside from that problem, there is never any indication that Apophis had another queen besides Amaunet. If both Amaunet and Klorel mature at the same time, how can she be Korel's mother? If Amaunet has just taken a host for the first time, then where has Apophis been getting the symbiotes for his Jaffa? So, I decided that Amaunet must have been a Goa'uld queen not in title only, but in fact. She must have been capable of spawing symbiotes, and she must have had a host prior to the pilot episode, especially since she existed in Egyptian mythology. It seems unlikely that there would have been two Amaunets among the System Lords, or that a newly-matured symbiote would take the name of a previous Queen. Maybe some of these questions will be answered differently in the re-release of the pilot, but until then, that's my analysis.

Finally, I always wanted to see some interaction between Daniel and Amaunet, beyond the moments we get in Forever in a Day. So, later chapters will have an encounter between them that could have happened in the series.

As always, I'm looking forward to your reviews!


	2. Rebirth

**Rebirth**

Her first awareness was of the cold, smooth surface of the altar against her bare skin. A waft of cool air moved across her, chilling her further.

"Cold," she whispered. But even as the word left her lips, a priestess was spreading a silk robe across her, covering the nakedness of her goddess. Another lifted her head, and put a sweet drink to her lips. Amaunet took a swallow, but her throat refused to work. She choked the liquid back out. Instantly, a soft cloth blotted the liquid from her face and neck.

She felt a warm hand take hers. She tried to turn her head, to open her eyes, but found that she could not. The host was fighting her.

"_Never, never, never_," the voice was shouting. "_You will never have me. Never, never_ …"

"_I have you even now_," Amaunet projected to the host. "_Your body is mine. Rejoice that you have been taken by a goddess_."

"_False goddess! I know what you are. I saw when you emerged from the priestess. You are a snake. My husband will find me and will rip you from my body_."

Amaunet was shocked that the slave spoke to her so disrespectfully, and her control slipped for a moment. Recovering quickly, she sent a wave of pain towards the slave's mind. She was quite satisfied with the resulting cry of agony.

"_Speak to me again, slave, and you will suffer even more. You will never be free of me. Your body is mine for as long as I wish it. When I leave it, you will be the one to die. Now watch as I open _my_eyes and embrace your god and my lord Apophis_."

"_I am not your slave!_" the host shrieked again. Amaunet sent another surge of pain to silence it, and then put all of her energy into taking control of the muscles leading to the eyes. After a brief struggle, she forced them open. Her lord stood there, looking down at her with concern.

"My love?" he asked softly.

She gained enough control of the face to smile at him. "It is I," she replied, forming the words with effort. "You have saved me."

Bending a little, he brought her hand to his lips, and kissed it tenderly. "How I have missed your voice! Even in a new host, your beautiful voice is the same."

"How long?" she asked. Imprisoned in the canopic jar, she'd had no way to measure the passing time.

"Long enough for several of our children to mature. Korel is among them, and is ready to take a host. But I did not want that to happen until you had been restored to your rightful place. You will be beside me when I choose his vessel, and he will see your face when he awakes."

Amaunet tired of the struggle to keep her eyes open, and let them close.

"You are so weak," Apophis said, his voice full of concern.

"My host is strong, and the battle is wearying," she murmured. "It has been long since I took a new host."

"Rest, then. Our servants are preparing a banquet in your honor. When you are ready, you will be presented to them, and all will celebrate the return of their queen."

"Soon," she agreed, and drifted into sleep.

* * *

When she next awoke, Amaunet felt refreshed and stronger. The host's voice was more distant, although a cry of "_never_" would occasionally break through the mental barrier that she had erected. The irony was not lost on her: as she had been taken from her husband and walled up, so had the host. But this was the natural order of things, for a slave to become the vessel for a goddess. Amaunet felt no remorse.

Her maidservants had waited long to see their mistress again, and were eager to dress their queen in the robes that Apophis had prepared for her. Lovingly, they colored her eyes and lips, and arranged the elaborate headdress. As they fluttered about her, she noticed with displeasure the roughness of their hands, and the grey streaks appearing in their hair. It would not do at all for a goddess to have such unattractive servants. She must surrounded only by beauty. Apophis would see to it.

"Enough," she commanded, and waved them away. Then she stood, and admired her reflection in the mirror. The host body was beautiful: dark eyes, full lips, slender waist. She reached up to touch her hair. The previous host's hair had been smooth and straight, so the curves were a novelty to her. She sneered for a moment as she recalled the first replacement host that Apophis had presented. The female had been unattractively thin and angular, but what Amaunet had most despised was the light hair. It reminded her too much of the preferred queens of the Sun God.

"Tell my lord that his queen is ready," she instructed her lo'taur. The woman bowed quickly, and hurried from the room.

It was not long before Apophis strode into the room, dressed in his finest robes. His eyes brightened with delight at the sight of his regal and graceful Queen.

"My love," he said, "This day you will be restored to your rightful place in the House of Apophis." He reached for her, and she moved into his arms. His hand came up and stroked her hair gently. "How I have missed your touch."

After a moment, she drew away. "My lord, I must know how it was that you rescued me. Is our enemy, Ra, no more?"

"It is a great mystery. A year ago, his flagship simply vanished from the galaxy. Ra had called a summit of the system lords, no doubt to demand tribute, but he never appeared. Months passed without word from him. Eventually the remaining System Lords agreed that he must have been defeated by an enemy."

"Did no one claim the victory?"

"Not at first. We feared that it might be a test: that Ra would return and take retribution on any who dared usurp him. Only recently have some grown bold enough to begin taking his territory. Heru-ur is positioning himself as Ra's successor, but he does not have enough support to be accepted as the Supreme System Lord."

"But you did not wait."

Apophis smiled. "You know me too well. Immediately after Ra failed to arrive at his own summit, I began searching his temples for you. My only regret is that it took so long to locate the right one. But I finally found a priestess of Ra who had witnessed your fate, and she led me to the spot where you were entombed. She had been greatly touched by your bravery before Ra."

Amaunet couldn't suppress a shudder at the memory, and Apophis' expression darkened. "Never have I loved you more than at that moment," he continued. "It was because of your faithfulness to me that you were imprisoned there. I could not wait for a host: I had to free you at once. I removed the spawn of Ra from the priestess myself and crushed it under my foot. I placed you within her womb until a new host could be found."

"I cannot remember that moment," Amaunet murmured. "The elixir of the jar still dulled my mind."

"Since Ra had destroyed your previous host, I thought it fitting that your new one should come from his domain," Apophis continued. "So I ordered our most trusted Jaffa to raid his worlds. We even opened the chappa'i to the First World in our search. I discovered your new host myself, on Abydos.

_Abydos? _Unbidden, a vision came to Amaunet: sprawling desert sands glimmering under a dome of blue sky. Faces surrounded her, dark faces with bright smiles. Then the multitude of faces merged together, and became a single face, a young man with light skin and blue eyes rimmed by glass circles.

She felt a firm hand on her shoulder. "My Queen?"

"I remember . . ." she began, and then forced the vision away. There was another mystery to solve. "The chappa'i to the First World has been closed for long ages. All who attempted to travel there were destroyed. How did you know that it was open?"

"The chance for such a victory was too great to resist: to stand on the world where Ra has not stood for thousands of years! To take a host for my queen! And it was a simple thing: I sent a scanning device through on the chance that the chappa'i was open. When the signal confirmed that it was, I took a handful of my best Jaffa and went through myself. Then I slew all those we found there, except for the one slave we brought back as a potential host."

"I tremble that you put yourself in such danger for me."

"How could I do any less? What other pharaoh has such a queen? A queen who will produce children of his seed rather than her own? A queen who will suffer imprisonment rather than serve his enemy? You are worth all of this, and more!"

"No, it is I who am fortunate," Amaunet responded. "Since Ra was exiled from the First World, how many queens have been used and then discarded by him in favor of another? While the other System Lords slew or imprisoned their queens, you have been faithful to me. You have protected and cherished me."

"And I always will, my love." He kissed her forehead, and then lowered the silvery veil over her face. " It is time you were presented to our people. They will worship your beauty." Taking her hand, he led her out of the dressing chamber and into the hall, where an honor guard waited to escort their Pharaoh and his queen to the celebration feast.


	3. Restoration

**Restoration**

Side-by-side, Amaunet and Apophis followed the Jaffa honor guard down the corridor leading to the banquet hall, where their most loyal servants had gathered in celebration. Relishing in her reborn senses, Amaunet slowed to breathe in the aroma of the food and the fragrance of the flowers. She was home.

"Behold," Apophis declared, lifting the veil from her face. "Your Queen!"

Amaunet's eyes swept over the figures kneeling below. With their faces bowed low to the ground in reverence, she could not easily identify them. Some were quite young. They had likely been birthed after her imprisonment by Ra, and had never known their queen.

Suddenly, there was a blur of motion at the far end of the banquet table, and then a young man dressed in strange green garments stood and started moving towards her. Amaunet sensed a stirring in her host. Apophis frowned at the slave's disrespectful behavior.

"Kneel before your queen," he demanded. The slave ignored him, and continued moving towards Amaunet.

"Sha're," he pleaded. "It, it's me."

As she turned towards him, Amaunet was nearly overwhelmed by a wave of emotion from the host: joy mixed with fear. Her eyes flashed as she suppressed it. Apophis would deal with this disobedient slave.

Apophis raised his hand, and sent a surge of energy towards the offending slave. Amaunet watched with satisfaction as he was thrown against the far wall and sank to the ground. The moment was short-lived, though, as yet another male and a female slave rose to their feet. Amaunet experienced another vision from the host mind, revealing the thing in his arms to be a deadly weapon that spit bits of metal. Quickly, she stepped in front of her lord, extending her arms to shield him. Her host knew these people, and she hoped that they would not risk harming it.

Her hope was rewarded when the slave hesitated, and then lowered his weapon. He was punished for his insolence with a blow to the head from a Serpent Guard that sent him crashing to the floor. The woman with him held up her hands in surrender as more guards surrounded them.

"My lord," asked the chief guard, "how would you have me deal with these? Shall I take them to the courtyard and execute them for the insult to your Queen?"

The First Prime stepped forward and opened his helmet. "If they are executed immediately, my lord, then we will not know where they are from or which system lord they serve," he said. "Would it not be better to place them in the dungeon until you have time to attend to them?"

Apophis studied the humans, contemplating their strange weapons and unfamiliar technology. The woman was beautiful and unusually tall: her height emphasized by her erect posture and fearless expression despite the guards that surrounded her. She stood defensively over the younger man, who lay unmoving, still sprawled where he had fallen by the wall. The older man was beginning to stir. As Apophis watched, he groaned and clutched at his head.

"Well, this is turning out to be a crappy day," the man muttered.

Their equipment seemed primitive compared to the Goa'uld, but beyond that typical of humans. Apophis decided that would be wise to learn their origin before disposing of them. He turned to Teal'c. "Remove only their weapons, and put them in the dungeon," he ordered. "Remain nearby and watch them. It may be that they will use their technology to contact their master, or they may reveal something to one of the other slaves. Report back to me all that you learn."

Two guards forced the older man to his feet. He took a few steps; then staggered. They tightened their grip on his arms and marched him towards the door. Two others lifted the young man by the arms and pulled him along, his head hanging limply, his feet dragging behind. There was a sudden clatter as the glass circles slid off his face and onto the ground. The woman quickly knelt and snatched them up. A Jaffa grabbed her arm to wrest them from her.

"Please, he needs these to see," she pleaded. Apophis gestured slightly to the guards, indicating that she could keep the glass circles, for now. Soon enough he would possess all that they had and all that they knew.

As the Jaffa dragged him away, Amaunet glanced at the young man. She felt the host struggling to retake control, shouting his name, "_Dan'yel,_ _Dan'yel!"_

Unbidden, her hands reached out for him. Amaunet put forth her greatest effort, and forced them back to her side. _Do that again, slave,_ she thought angrily, _and I will put him to death with my own hands... _

"_My hands_," the host protested.

"…_but first, he will suffer greatly"._ She pictured the worst tortures that she could conceive and projected them to the host: images of knives, whips, burning brands and painsticks.

"_Please, no! Dan'yel!_"

"_Then trouble me no more!"_

Amaunet smiled in satisfaction at the silence which followed.

* * *

Several hours later, when the feast had ended, Apophis and Amaunet returned to their chambers. Apophis dismissed the servants, and at last, they were alone.

"I am troubled by the presence of enemies at our table," he said. "We should choose hosts for our children without delay, and then I will take you to safety in your hidden temple at Kemet. You must stay there until I am certain that the House of Ra has been utterly defeated."

"We have only just been reunited. Please, let me stay with you," Amaunet protested.

"I would not lose you so soon," Apophis replied. "But the location of Chulak is too well-known among the system lords. I insist that you obey me in this."

Amaunet bowed her head in submission. "Your will is mine, my lord. Let us select the remaining hosts as soon as may be. But I must confess that I am weary."

"Then you shall not walk to the dungeon, my queen. I will call for our litter at once."

* * *

Amaunet's nose wrinkled as the gently swaying litter approached the dungeon, with its overwhelming stench of unwashed humanity. The litter's movement stopped, signaling their arrival.

"Sha'ka ha! Kree hol mel, Goa'uld!" she heard the First Prime announce in a loud voice. There was a slight thump as the litter settled to the ground, and then he cried again, "Jaffa!"

At that signal, Apophis stepped out of the litter. Though she would have preferred to remain within, Amaunet obediently took Apophis' hand and climbed out, taking her place beside him at the entry to the dungeon. The Serpent Guards descended the stairs before them, forming two lines that divided the crowd of humans.

Teal'c ordered the slaves to kneel in preparation for the choosing, first in Goa'uld, and then in the common tongue. Guards rushed down into the crowd, shoving any who hesitated to the ground.

Now the members of Apophis' court moved into the dungeon. Teal'c ordered the litter bearers to begin selecting potential hosts for their examination. Amaunet watched impassively as the age-old process unfolded: potential hosts were selected, examined, and then either accepted or rejected by the courtiers.

Suddenly, Amaunet's attention was drawn to an unusual commotion in the center of the room. It was the young man from the banquet. He was on his knees, held tightly by two guards. He was speaking rapidly in the common tongue, babbling about being a host. Was he offering himself? He looked up at her, and their eyes met. This displeased Amaunet, and she looked away quickly without acknowledging him.

Her gaze was drawn back when an oddly familiar voice began screaming. One of the courtiers had chosen a handsome, dark-haired boy who had been kneeling next to the young man. Ignoring his protests, the litter bearers pulled him from the dungeon. The older man that Amaunet had observed in the banquet hall tried to intervene, but was disciplined by a blow to the face from a Serpent Guard.

The choosing was over. The courtiers filed out of the dungeon, and the Serpent Guards formed a barrier between the slaves and the door, preventing any escapes. Apophis turned to survey the captives. They had been followers of Ra. There would be no return to their homeworlds, no mercy.

"Kill the rest," he ordered.

Amaunet retook her position in the litter next to Apophis, and then closed the curtains around them. The light cloth was ineffective against the stench of the dungeon and the screams of the terrified humans. She was relieved when the litter reached the ground level of the palace, and the heavy door leading to the lower levels shut behind them.

She turned to her Pharaoh. "My lord, what of the female slaves you prepared as potential hosts for me? I desire maidservants that are beautiful. The human life span is short, and the servants I have now are growing old."

"They are from Ra's domain. Would you not prefer servants from our own worlds?"

"These have already been cleaned, and they have healthy bodies and good teeth. It seems a pity to discard all of them. Have you not said yourself, that a beautiful female is a beautiful female, where ever she is from?"

Apophis smiled indulgently. "And you are the most beautiful of all, my love. Very well. You may choose from them any that please you. Then we will proceed to the ceremony of implantation together. It is time for our son to take a host."

* * *

In the dungeon, Daniel's heart was pounding as the guards lowered their staff weapons and advanced on the unarmed people. Most of them screamed and fled to the far wall in panic. He resisted the urge to turn and run with the others. There was nowhere to go: it would be better to face death with some measure of dignity.

But an intense desire to live surged through him. If he and Jack died, who would save Sha're and Skarra? Their fate would be sealed as surely as Earth's Stargate. Beside him, he heard Jack shouting at the head guard.

"I can save these people. Help me!" Jack pleaded. "Help me."

"Many have said that," the guard replied. Daniel couldn't keep his eyes from traveling to the nearby wall. Scorch marks and gouges silently testified to long ages of slaughter.

His attention was drawn back as the guard suddenly began firing on his own men. To Daniel's utter astonishment, he tossed his weapon to Jack, adding, "but you are the first I believe could do it!" Suddenly, shots were flying everywhere. Daniel stood frozen in surprise for a moment, before Captain Carter grabbed his vest and pulled him down behind a boulder.

After several confusing moments, the guards were dead, or had fled, except for the one who had helped them. Too many of the captives also lay dead or severely wounded. In a daze, Daniel found himself standing beside a large hole in the wall of the dungeon, helping the prisoners that were still mobile climb through to freedom.

"You going to be okay?" Jack looked at him with concern.

Daniel couldn't put what he was feeling into words, and now wasn't the time, anyway. He just nodded briefly, and then climbed through the wall. They had a long run uphill to get to the Stargate, and it was by no means certain they could get there before they were hunted down, or locked out of Earth.


	4. Retreat

****

Retreat

A wordless wail of despair echoed through her mind as Amaunet swept down the hall, escorted by six Serpent Guards. She sensed that the host was weeping for her mate, condemned to death in the dungeon; there was also grief for the male chosen to be the vessel of Klorel. But Amaunet had no time or pity for the host's feelings, and she crushed them swiftly.

"Bow before your goddess!" the lead Jaffa shouted as she entered the concubines' chamber. The white-robed women instantly groveled before her, pressing their foreheads against the hard marble floor. Amaunet was annoyed by the way this position obscured their heads behind pillows and couches. They all looked the same from this angle. To get a decent view of them, she was obliged to walk into the room and then pick out a path among the motionless forms.

About half-way into the chamber, she spotted a light-haired woman. While Amaunet disdained taking a human with light coloring as a host, she found the idea of having one as a slave to be quite agreeable. She moved to stand in front of the woman.

"Rise. Let me see your face," she ordered.

Gracefully, the woman stood before Amaunet, being careful to keep her eyes downcast in respect. She was tall and slender, with short blonde curls that just touched her shoulders. Amaunet sensed recognition in the host: a brief image of clasped hands and shared support. If this woman was already fond of the host, then she would likely transfer those feelings to her new goddess.

"I am in need of younger handmaidens. Your appearance pleases me."

"I would be honored to serve my queen," the woman's soft voice replied.

"An excellent answer. Be sure to always address me as 'my queen'," Amonet replied. "And what shall I call you?"

"Apollonia, if it pleases my queen."

"You are well-spoken, Apollonia. Serve me as well as you speak, and I may name you my lo'taur. Choose two others to assist you."

The woman immediately pointed out one who was kneeling next to her. "Would this one be acceptable, my queen?"

"Let me have a look," Amaunet commanded.

The second woman rose humbly. Noticing a striking similarity in her appearance to Apollonia, Amaunet concluded that they must be relatives. All the better: she could use the relationship between them to her advantage if discipline became necessary.

"And you are?"

"Pelagia, my queen."

"You are of her family?"

"We are sisters, my queen."

"Acceptable," Amaunet judged. "Apollonia, choose one more," she ordered.

Apollonia glanced towards a beautiful woman whose hair was a long, dark mass of ringlets.

"Not her. I want a matched set." Amaunet interrupted. She noticed a light-colored woman crouching by the wall. "Let me see that one."

One of the guards crossed the room quickly, and pulled the woman that Amaunet had indicated to her feet. Amaunet noted with displeasure that this one was significantly shorter than the other two. She gestured to the Jaffa, and the woman was shoved back down. After a bit more searching, Amaunet found another that had the necessary build and coloring to make a satisfactory match for the sisters.

"Jaffa, have one of your guards escort these three to my chambers," the queen commanded the chief Serpent Guard. "Tell my current lo'taur to instruct them in their duties."

After the new handmaidens left, he bowed and asked, "My queen, the lord Apophis has instructed us to dispose of the rest. Shall we carry out his order now?"

Amaunet found her attention drawn to the tip of the guard's staff weapon. For a moment, she was back on her knees in front of Ra, her host's heart pounding in panic. And then there was a different memory -- from the host. But the brief impression of Ra vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving a dark void in its place.

Surprised, Amaunet probed the host_. You have knowledge of Ra?_ she demanded. But the void remained. The host was blocking her! _Answer me!_ Amaunet pressed. _What do you know of Ra?_

The Serpent Guard watched as his goddess stood apparently lost in thought. He waited, and then ventured a cautious question.

"My queen?"

Her eyes snapped back into focus. "Do as my lord commanded. But use the zat'nick'tel rather than staff weapons. This chamber must not be damaged. And do it quickly."

The chief guard bowed, and then selected two of his men to help carry out the goddess' wishes. The remaining guards escorted Amaunet out of the room. Her business done, she hurried to the implantation ceremony, oblivious to the cries of terror from the doomed women left behind. The exhaustion she had felt earlier was beginning to return. She pushed it aside in her desire to be present when the son she had given Apophis took a host. After that, she would have ample time to probe the host's secrets.

Amaunet had just reached the door of the implantation chamber when she heard shouting and the clank of armor. Amaunet turned to see Apophis striding down the hall, several Serpent Guards hurrying behind.

"My lord!" she greeted him.

"My love," he responded. "There has been a rebellion in the dungeon. One of the guards on the outer wall saw several of the slaves fleeing through a gap in the outer wall."

"What of the guards who were in the dungeon?"

"I know not, my queen. But, while even one of them drew breath, they would not permit a single slave to flee. It is likely that are all dead." His expression darkened. "Unarmed slaves could not do this without help. There are enemies in the palace! I must take you from here at once."

"But what of Korel and the other child?"

"There is not time to properly prepare their hosts. We will perform the ceremony aboard the ship, on the way to the chappa'i."

"I will gather my new handmaidens, and meet you at the ship."

"No! Leave them! Only the members of the court and the royal Serpent Guards are to go. The rest are already on board: I came myself in search of you." He caressed her cheek gently. "You have only just been restored to me. I will not lose you again. Now let us go!"

Amaunet bowed in deference to his command. She allowed Apophis to take her hand and lead her to the waiting ship.

* * *

The members of the royal court had already gathered when Apophis and Amaunet arrived at the ship. Apophis paused before boarding and spoke to the guards to be left behind. "The slaves are not to be pursued on foot," he commanded. "They may be a diversion, to draw off our strength in preparation for an attack on the palace. Double the guards at the walls! I will return as soon as my queen is safe."

Once they were aboard and the ship was in the air, Amaunet followed Apophis to the cargo area. There, the most senior Serpent Guards were restraining the two slaves chosen to become hosts. They were on their knees, their hands bound tightly to prevent them from harming themselves or the young symbiotes. The female was crying quietly, but the male glared up at them in defiance.

"Release my sister!" he demanded. "Sha're! Fight them!"

Amaunet regarded him cooly. "Your sister will not answer you. But you should rejoice that, as the host of Klorel, you will be with her forever."

The boy spat angrily at the ground. "Never!"

"I am tired of dealing with slaves today," Amaunet replied. She turned to Apophis. "My love, let us wait no longer."

Apophis reached out his hand device, and used its power to quiet both slaves. The two priests who were incubating the newly-matured Goa'uld stepped behind them, and at the same moment, each parted their robes to allow the symbiotes to emerge.

Apophis smiled with fierce joy. "Come forth, and take your rightful place in the House of Apophis!"

Both symbiotes shrieked in response. Klorel struck first, coiling and then launching himself the short distance from the Jaffa's body to the back of Skarra's neck. The young man screamed in agony. His cries were echoed by the woman next to him, as the other Goa'uld plunged into her body. But the Jaffa held them firm, and in a few moments, they grew quiet. Klorel's eyes flashed, signaling his ownership of his new body. The Serpent Guards holding him released him at once.

The son of Apophis and Amaunet stood and looked down at himself. He held out his hands, turning them over and flexing the fingers.

"Fascinating," he said.

Amaunet stepped forward took Klorel's right hand in her own. "Greetings, Son of Apophis." With her left hand, she held out a ribbon device. "Receive this token of your station. I have waited long for this moment. For you are also my son: you came from my body, though the seed was your father's and not mine."

Korel slipped the ribbon device onto his hand. "I thank you for giving me life, mother." He turned to Apophis. "And I thank you for giving me your memories, father, and for providing this host."

Apophis embraced Korel fondly. "I apologize that we did not properly prepare your host, my son. We fear that an enemy is launching an attack on our palace at Chulak even now. Your first duty is to see your mother to safety. After that, we will have you properly arrayed as a prince and presented to your people."

"My lord Apophis," one of the Serpent Guards called. "We have spotted the slaves. They appear to be heading to the chappa'i. Shall we attack?"

"Not yet," Apophis replied. "First take us to the chappa'i. Then you may return and hunt them down."

"Yes, my lord. We will arrive in a moment."

The ship swooped down into the small valley that held the gate. As it hovered overhead, the members of Apophis' court began ringing down. Apophis and Amaunet were last to materialize on the ground, encircled by six Serpent Guards facing outward to protect them from attack. But as there was no sign of an enemy in the area, Apophis directed the ship to go back and wipe out the fleeing humans.

Together, the system lord and his queen watched the ship fly into the distance. It quickly located the fleeing slaves and began firing toward the ground. Confident that none of the slaves would escape, Apophis turned and began dialing the gate. In a moment, Amaunet would be safe in her secret temple. Then he could return and deal with any remaining enemies.

Suddenly, he heard an unfamiliar sound, as of rushing wind. He turned and saw a streak of smoke speeding toward the Al'kesh. There was an impact on the hull, and then the ship slammed into the ground. A fireball roared up into the sky.

Apophis' eyes flashed with astonished rage. An enemy had dared to attack him on his own territory! But he was unwilling to linger and risk any harm to Amaunet. Apophis turned from the sight and led her through the gate.

Once on the other side, he and his queen waited for Klorel and the rest of the court. Though neither had voiced their anxiety, they were both relieved when their son stepped out of the event horizon.

"Invaders have stepped foot on the holy ground of the chappa'i," he warned. "We must return at once!"

Apophis shook his head. "Your duty is to your queen, my son. Do not leave her side until she is safe in her temple. She will show you the way. I will take the guards back to Chulak myself and punish these invaders."

Apophis stormed over to the pedestal, and began dialing the sequence for Chulak. His anger exploded when the lights on the massive stone circle flashed, and then darkened without the expected wormhole. He dialed two more times, but the result was the same: the way back to Chulak was blocked. The Snake God turned to his court with a furious expression.

"The House of Apophis will not rest until these invaders are found and destroyed!"

* * *

A/N: It's taken longer than I thought to get to the end of Children of the Gods. The story will move a little faster through the episodes now. Thanks for the reviews and to those who put this story on alert. If you're reading, please leave a review and let me know what you think of the story so far!


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